Monica Lewinsky, a former intern at the White House, recently stated on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she believes Bill Clinton, the former President, should have stepped down from his position after their affair became public knowledge over 25 years ago.

In conversation with Alex Cooper, the podcast’s host, Lewinsky discussed how the political controversy should have been managed after it was revealed that she had an affair with Clinton while she was an intern in his administration.

“I think that the right way to handle a situation like that would have been to probably say it was nobody’s business and to resign,” Lewinsky said to Cooper. “Or to find a way of staying in office that was not lying and not throwing a young person who is just starting out in the world under the bus.”

In the years following the scandal, Lewinsky has become a vocal advocate against online bullying and public humiliation. She expressed her concerns about the negative effects the scandal had on her contemporaries who observed her public vilification.

During the podcast, she said, “I think there was so much collateral damage for women of my generation to watch a young woman be pilloried on a world stage – to be torn apart for my mistakes, for my everything.”

This interview was a part of the promotion for Lewinsky’s own podcast, “Reclaiming,” which she started earlier this month. So far, her guests have included actors Olivia Munn and Alan Cumming.

In a 2021 discussion with Jake Tapper of CNN, Lewinsky had previously discussed the power imbalance in her relationship with Clinton. She characterized Clinton’s actions as “wholly inappropriate” considering their professional positions and age gap.

“I think what’s really important to remember in today’s world is that we never should have even gotten to a place where consent was a question,” Lewinsky told Tapper. “So it was wholly inappropriate as the most powerful man, my boss, 49 years old. I was 22, literally just out of college. And I think that the power differentials there are something that I couldn’t ever fathom consequences at 22 that I understand obviously so differently at 48.”

Clinton’s affair with Lewinsky led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in the 1990s after his initial denial of the relationship. However, Clinton was later acquitted by the Senate and served his full second term in office.

Lewinsky faced severe public shaming and media scrutiny during the scandal, with news outlets derogatorily labeling her and evaluating her physical appearance. This negative publicity made it challenging for her to find work in the subsequent years and even led her to contemplate changing her name.

In the years following the #MeToo movement, there has been a reevaluation of the media’s depiction of Lewinsky and the power disparity between her and Clinton. Numerous media personalities have expressed remorse for their treatment of Lewinsky during the scandal.

In a 2021 interview, Lewinsky expressed her hope that young women in similar situations today would not be as harshly judged by the media and society. She said, “I would hope that we would be having a different kind of conversation. I would hope that most of the blame would not have rested on my shoulders, and most of the consequences.”

In the 2020 documentary “Hillary,” Clinton acknowledged the repercussions the scandal had on Lewinsky’s life. He expressed regret about how Lewinsky’s life was defined by their affair, which he deemed unfair. He added, “Over the years I have watched her trying to get a normal life back again.”

Despite this, Clinton has previously expressed his disagreement with the notion that he should have resigned because of the affair.

Over time, Lewinsky has transformed from a figure vilified by the media to a respected voice on issues such as consent, power dynamics, and public humiliation, mirroring broader societal changes in the understanding and discussion of such situations.

Alex Cooper, the host of “Call Her Daddy,” is reportedly the most listened-to female podcaster globally. Last year, she signed a $125 million contract with SiriusXM for her podcast, which covers topics about relationships and pop culture.